The Aidan Project

#78 - Notes on The Irish Famine

In this edition of The Aidan Project, Aidan examines
the claims regarding culpability and blame within the
historiography of The Irish Famine (circa 1845-1850). The Irish
Famine devastated Ireland’s population: it is estimated to have
killed a million people, with around two million more people forced
to leave the country. Furthermore, this appalling event is a key
example of the uneasy history between Ireland and the United
Kingdom. At the time of the Famine, Ireland was a formal part of
the UK, following the Act of Union in 1801. Did the British intend
to extirpate the Irish, as has often been claimed, or were the
British simply incompetent? The genocide charge dominates the
historiography of the Famine. This debate over culpability and
blame is, of course, a contentious one. This episode, after
providing a brief introduction to the Famine, will summarise the
competing arguments. This episode includes audio from episode 24 – The Irish Famine:
Tragedy and Propaganda, which featured an interview with
Professor Liam Kennedy, Emeritus Professor of History at Queen’s
University Belfast. Aidan and Professor Kennedy discussed the
comparisons made by Irish nationalists between the Irish Famine and
the Jewish Holocaust. Professor Kennedy’s most recent book is
Unhappy the Land: The Most Oppressed
People Ever, the Irish.

About the Podcast

Aidan Coughlan's inquisitive podcast examines current events, history and culture. What is happening in the world and how do we make sense of it? Aidan, assisted by expert guests from around the globe, is on a quest to find out. Why not join him?